Dear Friends,

In two days time (as I write) it will be the Feast of the Epiphany, which a lot of scholars tell us is actually older than Christmas as a Feast day of the Universal Church. Indeed, I gather that some parts of the Church, and the society in which those parts of the Church are, celebrate it in ways akin to what we might see as a Christmas celebration. I think that we in the West, on the other hand, who often put the visit of the Wise Men in the context of the Christmas crib, probably have taken a core part of the Epiphany celebration into Christmas. The Epiphany Collect (see below) shows why. The "Wise Men” narrative in Scripture suggests that the Lord Jesus was around two years old when they came and received their “manifestation” of Him, and He would have been well out of the manger-crib by than. 

I like to try to resolve the issue by regarding Epiphany as the “twin” of Christmas, often forgotten, but celebrated just as the Twelve Days of Christmas come to their end. The actual length of the Epiphany Season is a lot longer than the 12 days assigned to Christmas but it comes to an end on different days every year somewhere around the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, 40 days from Christmas Day.

The Collect for the Feast  of the Epiphany, or The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles (January 6) is

O God, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles: Mercifully grant, that we, which know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Collect for the First Sunday after the Epiphany is

O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people which call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epiphany Collect links the historic manifestation of Christ to the Gentile seekers to the manifestation of the Lord, the knowledge of Him through faith, that occurs in the hearts and minds of Christians in general. The way by which we may know Him now, says the Epiphany Collect, is “by faith”. By our faith, albeit imperfect, He manifests Himself to us in this life, so that we may pray that “after this life” we may “have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead.”

Perhaps the Collect for the First Sunday after the Epiphany was intended to be be seen as an appendix or expansion of some of what was raised by the Epiphany Collect. The First Sunday after the Epiphany Collect can be seen as a prayer to God to make manifest, to those who know Him by faith and pray to Him, how we should “perceive and know what things they ought to do” - and for His grace and power for a full carrying out of those things; “through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

May we be given that perception and knowledge, and that “grace and power” in what looks to be a very challenging 2023.

For directions about the services this Sunday the 8th January 2023, the First Sunday after the Epiphany, please see the website www.TruthWithLanguage.com . It is my intention to re-start the zoom Evening Prayer service again at 6 pm our time.

In faith in the holy Name of our Lord Jesus, who will continue to provide guidance in all matters and joy, by the Holy Spirit, to all His people.

+ Nicholas